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Credits

The name refers to Corcomroe Abbey, which is located on the south side of the hill, near Bell Harbour (Bealaclugga). Walks: for a walk to the summit of Abbey Hill and around the N slopes, see Kevin Corcoran, West of Ireland Walks, 43-50, or Whilde & Simms, New Irish Walk Guide - West and North, 24-25.
Abbey Hill is the 1294th highest summit in Ireland. Abbey Hill is the most northerly summit in the West Clare area. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/

Park at M31208 10189A a grassy unpaved road, room on one side for 5 cars. Abbey Hill is a popular walk in North Clare. Walk west along this track to a gap in the wall on your left at M31111 10471B then follow rough tracks over limestone shelves to the summit marked by a cairn at a wall junction.. On a clear day there are great views to the north over Galway Bay. On the other sides it is surrounded by the bare limestone hills of the Burren.The hill is called after Corcomroe Abbey on its eastern slopes. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/comment/5768/

Picture from fkaatje : Oughtmama from Abbey Hill summit

Picture: Oughtmama from Abbey Hill summit

route suggestions and loop walks

by fkaatje 28 Jan 2012

Abbey Hill is a nice short climb which rewards you with splendid views over the Burren and Galway Bay. It is also a rather popular walk and on a sunny Sunday afternoon you won’t be alone on this summit. I often take visitors from abroad up here as it is a great quick introduction to the Burren limestone landscape. The three most obvious routes are:

1. From the east. Leave the car at M31212 10187C and follow the green road west until a gap in the wall at M31107 10468D. From here straight up west to the summit.

2. From the north. Either same parking as route 1, or west at St. Patricks church M28630 10124E. Follow the green road up until a gap in the wall at M30005 10878F. From here follow a trail up west until you bump into the wall that will guide you all the way to the summit; first south then southeast. This route offers some easy scrambling up several small limestone cliffs.

3. From the south. Park at Corcomroe Abbey M 29440 08935G. The 13th century abbey ruins are worth the short visit. Over the wall or through the gate into the field west of the abbey. Straight up north until you meet the wall that guides you up NE all the way to the summit. This route also negotiates a few easy cliffs.

As a side note: My personal opinion is that Turlough Hill offers a much better challenge than any of the West Clare summits listed on MountainViews. It’s a real pity it misses the 150m prominence criterium (the saddle connecting it to Slievecarran is just 100m lower than the summit). The same applies to other Burren peaks like Moneen and Gleninagh Mountains. Apart from offering a better challenge than the listed mountains, they are striking landmarks in the Burren; clearly distinguishable from the Salthill prom 20 km across Galway Bay. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/comment/6669/

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Picture from wicklore : Clints and Grikes

Picture: Clints and Grikes

Karst landscape at its finest

by wicklore 18 Jul 2014

The Burren is a 300 sq km region of Co. Clare which is famous for its karst landscape. This manifests itself as magnificent endless exposed limestone plateaus, rocky hills and dramatic natural clean-cut steps and stairs and blocks of rock. Beneath lie breathtaking cave systems that are still being explored. While walking on the plateaus one encounters these ‘blocks’ of rock which are called ‘clints’. The cracks or fissures between them are called ‘grikes’. These require care as the rock of the ‘clints’ can be fractured and displace, and an unplanned step into a ‘grike’ could result in a leg or foot injury.
Abbey Hill shows these clints and grikes at their finest and they allow for an entertaining ascent from the start. In places trees and tangled bushes grow out of the fissures whcih makes the descent in particular to the north very interesting in plaes! Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/comment/17556/

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Picture from JMarc : Abbey Hill Summit 09/04/2016

Picture: Abbey Hill Summit 09/04/2016

A snowy April morning.

by JMarc 9 Apr 2016

An easy walk close to Kinvarra. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/comment/18488/

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Picture from Buny Clare : taking a break on Abbey Hill

Picture: taking a break on Abbey Hill

Buny Clare on Abbey Hill, 2009

by Buny Clare 21 Jan 2009

Left car at St. patricks Church and walked from there on to the Green Road , Near the end of this section of the green road (northern west side of abbey hill we commenced climb . A track was visible for 10 mins until we ascended to rock only. Nice clear St. Stephens day but with a cold easterly wind . Came down to Corcomroe Abbey and walked back to Bell Harbour, Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/comment/3488/

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Picture from Damian120 : View from the top

Picture: View from the top

Easy hike with the added bonus of some great scenery

by Damian120 21 Aug 2016

A nice climb that is definitely not too taxing but at the same time offering up some great scenery of the Burren. Most of the hike is over the traditional Karst limestone that this an intrinsic part of the north Clare region. Some great elevated and unique views of Corcomroe Abbey at the rear of the hill Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/1009/comment/18615/